Twine and wire electric stop signal



Feb. 15, 1955 B. D. BODMER TWINE AND WIRE ELECTRIC STOP SIGNAL Filed April 24, 1953 INVENTOR. Bernard 1?. Bodmer United States Patent TWINE AND WIRE ELECTRIC STOP SIGNAL Bernard D. Bodmer, West Brooklyn, Ill.

Application April 24, 1953, Serial No. 350,990

2 Claims. (Cl. 20061.18)

This invention relates to an electrically operating means actuated responsive to breaking or slackening of a length of thread, twine, wire, or the like, and adapted when actuated to provide a signal indicating that said break or slackening has occurred.

The present invention has, as one important object thereof, the provision of a device of the type stated which will be of simple design, the device comprising, mainly, a housing readily adapted to be mounted upon any suitable support, spaced terminals carried by said housing, one of the terminals being insulated from the housing and said housing being of electrically conductive material, and a conductive arm pivotally mounted upon the housing and normally supported in a raised position by a flexible element stretched through the housing, said arm being freed for downward swinging movement responsive to breaking or slackening of said element, the arm engaging, when it swings to a lower position, that terminal normally insulated from the housing. In this way, a circuit is closed between the terminals, through the arm and the conductive housing, said circuit including any type of electrically actuated signal, such as a bell, light, etc., thus to inform the worker that the trouble condition has arisen.

While, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the device has been illustrated as a means for closing the circuit through an electrical signal, it will be apparent that the device comprises, in its basic essentials, a switch means that is web or thread operated, and that can not only be used for actuating an electric signal, but also for actuating any electrical devices that might accomplish stopping of the motion of a particular piece of machinery.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a switch device formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view in which portions have been broken away to show the interior of the device;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a swingable arm, per se; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

The device constituting the present invention includes a housing designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The housing can be provided with spaced, parallel side walls 12, said side walls being arranged vertically in a preferred mounting of the invention and being connected at one end by a bight portion 14 extending therebetween. Rivets 15 connect the bight portion fixedly to a bracket plate 16 having side wings 18 fixedly attachable to a suitable support 20 by means of screws 22; spot welds can be used instead of the rivets, if desired.

The side walls 12 are preferably formed with arcuate outer edges, and a hinged lid 24 is curved londitudinally corresponding to said edges. The lid 24 is hinged at 26 to the upper end of bight portion 14, to permit the lid to be raised whenever the device is to be reset.

In one wall 12, an opening is formed in which a sleevelike liner 28 (Figure 6) of electrically insulative material is mounted, said liner having, at its inner end, a circumferential flange 30 engaging against the inner surface of the associated side wall 12. A washer 31, also of electrically insulative material, abuts against the outer end of liner 28, and extending through the washer and liner is a screw 32 of electrically conductive material.

The screw 32 projects through an opening formed in the other side wall 12, said opening of the other side wall having a sleeve-like liner 34 of electrically insulative material engaged therein and circumposed about the screw. A non-conductive washer 36 abuts against the outer end of liner 34, the liner 34 being formed, at its inner end, with a flange 38 abutted against the inner surface of the associated side wall 12.

That portion of the screw extending between the liners is housed in a conductive sleeve 40, and it will thus be seen that sleeve 40 and screw 32 are insulated from the side walls 12 of the housing. It should be noted at this point that the side walls 12, as well as bight portion 14, are of electrically conductive material.

Threaded upon the screw 32 is a nut 42, said nut serving to hold in contact with the screw one end of a lead 44 extending from a battery 46 or other source of electrical power, said battery being grounded as at 48.

Nut 42, screw 32, and sleeve 40 cooperate to define one terminal of the switch device.

The other terminal of the switch device includes a short terminal screw 50 mounted in one side wall 12 in spaced relation to the first terminal. A lead 52 is connected to the terminal screw 50, and extends from a signal device 54, said signal device being grounded at 56. Signal device 54 can be any type of signal, such as an alarm bell, a lamp, a buzzer, etc.

Journaled at its ends in the respective side walls 12 is a conductive shaft 58, one end of which projects beyond the adjacent side of the housing and is flattened as at 60 to provide a handle.

To limit movement of shaft 58 in the direction of its length, cotter keys 62 are employed, said cotter keys extending through openings formed in the shaft and engaging the opposite side walls 12.

Another cotter key 64 is extended through the shaft, medially between the side walls 12, and also passes through one end of a conductive arm 66, said end of arm 66 having an opening receiving the shaft. The arm 66 is thus secured to the shaft for rotation therewith.

The free end of arm 66 is normally supported upon a flexible element 68 extending through apertured bosses 70 formed in the respective side walls 12. When the flexible element 68 is drawn taut, it supports the arm in an elevated position.

If, however, the element 68 breaks or goes slack to a predetermined extent, the arm will swing downwardly, to the dotted line position of Figure 3. This will cause the arm to contact the sleeve 40, and thus, the terminals are bridged, since a circuit will be closed from sleeve 40 through arm 66, shaft 58, and the housing wall, to terminal screw 50.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof de scribed above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A switch device actuable responsive to breaking or slackening of a flexible element stretched therethrough, comprising: a housing including spaced terminals; one of said terminals having a portion in parallel spaced relation with respect to said elements; and an arm pivotally mounted in the housing and having a free end normally supported by said element, said arm swinging into engagement with said portion responsive to braking or slackening of said element to complete a circuit including the terminals.

2. A switch device actuatable responsive to breaking or slackening of a flexible element extended therethrough,

comprising: a housing a portion at least of which is of electrically conductive material, said housing including spaced terminals mounted on said conductive portion and further including means insulating one of the terminals from said conductive portion; and a conductive arm pivotally mounted in said portion and having a free end normally supported by said element, said arm swinging downwardly into engagement with said one terminal responsive to breaking or slackening of said element, to complete a circuit therethrongh.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

